Device for closing or fastening fruit cans or jars or the like.



'f P ATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.4

G. B. ERTELL. DEVICE FOR CLOSING OR PASTENING FRUIT SANS RVJARS 0R THE LI APPLICATION I'ILED JUNE 15. 1903.

N0 MODEL'.

Witnesses,

UNITED STATES Patented September 22, v'1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

eEONeE E.l EETELL, OE BUFFALO, NEw YORK, AssieNOE or VONE-HALE To EREDE. GOODMAN, 'OE BUFFALO, NEw YORK.

' Fig. 6 is a top plan view of .the jar.

4had to the accompanying drawings,in which- DEVlCE FOR CLOSING 0R FASTENlNG FRUIT CANS OR JARS 0R TH LiKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,593, dated September 22, 1903. Application led June 15, 1903. Serial No. 161,5l0.' (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. ERTELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the'county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Closing or Fastening Fruit Cans or J ars or the Like, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to a device for closing or fastening fruitcans or jars or the like; and it consists of a series of rods or arms bent at an angle at one end and pivoted together at their inner extremities and a plate attached at the other end through which the rods or arms are passed and fastened.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastening device that is simple of construction, easily and efficiently operated, and which can be quickly applied to and removed from the jar.

It also relates to certain details of construccan be as tightly sealed as desired without tion, all of whichwill be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed,reference being Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the device with a jar placed therein. Fig. 2 is a section on line a d, Fig. 6. Fig. 3 is a section on line b b, Fig. l. Fig. et is a section on line h b, Fig. l, showing the rods in separated position for removing the jar in dotted lines. Fig. 5 represents the triangular plates.,

Fig. is a bottom plan view of the jar. Fig. 8 is a detailed view of the pivotal connection of the fastening-rods.

In referring to the drawings in detail numerals designate like parts.

The fastener is preferablyA formed of a sev ries of rods 1, preferably three in-number, extending longitudinally on the exterior of the can or jar 2 and having their lower ends 3 bent at an angle 4., as shown, to lit around the bottom of the jar. The inner ends 3 of the rods are bent to the form of the concavity 5 in the bottom of the jar, so that the ends fit in said concavity when the device is screwed tightly upon the can. The angle 4 forms angular-shaped ends on which the fastener rests when in an upright position. The inner extremities of the ends 3 of the rods are flati tened and are pivotally fastened together by a pivot-pin 6 to allow for movement of the 'like rods when it is required to separate them to remove or place the jar within the fastening` device. The upper ends of the rods are screw- 5 5 threaded, as shown at 7, anda triangular plate 8, adapted to seat on the cover 9 of the can or jar, has openings l0 in its triangular ends through which the screw-threaded ends 7 of the rodsare adapted to pass. Thumb- 6o nuts ll are ,screwed on the screw-threaded ends 7, which screw down upon the plate 8 and rigidly fasten the plate down on the cover 9.

Heretofore with the oldfashioned cans when they had to be tightly fastened for some time after the fruit or the likehas been put in them it was almost impossible for a person, unless they had unusual strength, to loosen the cover of the can. It generally had to be 7o put in boiling water upside down before the cover could he loosened andremoved.

With this improved device the can or jar much effort by screwing ther thumb-nuts 11 75 down upon the plate 7, which presses the cover securely down upon the top of the jar, and when it is desired to open the jar the thumb -nuts can be easilyunscrewed, the plate lifted a trie, and two of the rods l suiii- 8o ciently separated to permitthe jar or can to he easily and quickly removed therefrom or placed within the fastener.

A These fasteners can be made to lit any size' of cans or jars.

This improved fastening device cannot only be easily attached to or detached from the can or jar, but it also by reason of the fact that the rods are located on the exterior of the can or jar serves to protect the same from 9o blows or shocks and acts asan inclosing'and strengthening cage.

I claim as my invention-s 1. A device of the class described, comprising a triangular plate adapted to fit against the top cover of a-jar, can or the like, and provided with a plurality of openings, a plurality of rods extending longitudinally on the exterior of the jar, can or the like and having their lower ends bent inwardly to lit around roo the bottom of a jar, can or the like and pivotally connected at their inner extremitiesl and their upper ends screw-threaded and pro-v jecting through the openings in thetrangular f plateland fastening devices on the protruding screw-threaded upper ends of said rods, substantially as set forth. p

2. In a device of the-class described, a plate adapted to fit against the top cover of a jar, can 0r the like and having three equidistant openings, three rods having their upper ends projecting through the openings in the plate and their lower ends bent to fit around the bottom of a jar, can or the like and a pivot joining the inner extremities of said ends, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device of the class described, a cage- GEORGE B. ERTELL.

lWitnesses:

CHAS. BALB, A. H. TRACY, J r. 

